Rapper Nicki Minaj has backed U.S. President Donald Trump’s claims that Christians are facing persecution in Nigeria, calling for urgent global attention to what she described as a “deadly threat.” Minaj made the remarks on Tuesday during an event hosted by the United States mission to the United Nations.

President Trump has repeatedly argued that Christianity in Nigeria is under “existential threat,” and has directed the Pentagon to begin preparing potential military response options. While some communities say attacks in Nigeria do target Christian groups, analysts emphasize that the violence affecting the country is widespread, with victims drawn from diverse religious and ethnic backgrounds.

Minaj, speaking on the panel alongside U.S. Ambassador Mike Waltz and international faith leaders, thanked Trump for what she called strong leadership in “defending Christians in Nigeria, combating extremism, and stopping violence against those who simply want to exercise their natural right to freedom of religion or belief.”

Her comments follow a recent online exchange with Trump, in which she responded to his post about Nigeria by stating, “No group should ever be persecuted for practicing their religion.”

Pope Leo XIV also weighed in over the weekend, posting on X that Christians are suffering discrimination and persecution in several nations—including Nigeria, Mozambique, Bangladesh, and Sudan.

Introducing Minaj, Waltz told attendees that the music icon was appearing “not as a celebrity but as a witness” bringing global visibility to Nigeria’s vulnerable Christian communities.

Minaj admitted she was “very nervous” addressing the panel, but pledged to continue speaking out “in the face of injustice” affecting believers anywhere in the world.

“Sadly, this issue is not only increasing in Nigeria but in so many other countries,” she said, stressing that advocating for Nigeria’s Christians should not be viewed as choosing sides. “It is about uniting people,” she said, describing Nigeria as “a beautiful nation with deep faith traditions” that she hopes to visit.

The rapper tied her message to her own industry, noting that music has taken her around the world and helped her see how people “come alive when they hear a song that touches their soul.”

“Religious freedom means we all sing our faith regardless of who we are, where we live, or what we believe,” she concluded.